A Changed Man
by mayajane
Summary: What Severus believed to be true about Potter is proved wrong. Rated T for brief language.


A changed Man

Harry ran down the street, his feet pounding the pavement hard. There were five men running after him, wands out, shouting curses. But Harry was too fast for them. He turned the corner and pulled out his wand.

"Stupefy!" He yelled and one man dropped to the ground with a thud. Harry heard the others coming and ran down the alley, breathing so hard his ribs hurt.

"Potter!" Harry turned around and saw a man in dark robes. He pointed his wand in the direction of the man, but then he recognized the voice.

"Snape? What the fuck are you doing here?" He snapped. He always swore when he was angry and scared. There was no reason to it, really. Snape grabbed his arm and they disappeared as soon as the other men turned into the alley. Harry pulled away from Snape with a gasp, swearing harshly. Snape watched him with observing eyes.

"You've changed, Potter." He commented.

"No shit." Harry replied, still catching his breath. Snape sneered at him for a moment and then opened the door to headquarters. Harry was engulfed in a hug by his best mate, Hermione. She squeezed the air out of him.

"Hermione! Can't breathe." Harry choked out. Snape pushed them in suddenly and harry tumbled to the ground, Hermione in his arms. The door behind them exploded from a curse and he heard Snape scream a spell he had never heard before.

"You're both idiots." He snapped and replaced the door as he walked away. Harry climbed off of Hermione and pulled her to her feet.

"Sorry, it's just you've been gone all summer, Dumbledore wouldn't let us write you or see you and I'm so sorry about –"

Harry put his hand over her mouth with a chuckle, "Breathe Hermione. It's okay." Harry didn't really know what to do. Why had Snape brought him here? How did he know about the men breaking into the house and killing his Uncle, Aunt and cousin?

"I'll meet you upstairs, Mione, I need to know how they got into the house. I don't turn seventeen for two more days." Harry told her and she nodded.

"Okay." Harry walked into the kitchen and saw everyone gathered around the table, looking at something.

"What's going on?" Harry asked and everyone looked up at him. He took a step back, shocked by the anger in some of the looks. What he had done?

"You foolish boy!" Mad eye said harshly. Harry looked over to Dumbledore with wide eyes.

"What are you on about?" He asked finally. No one answered him.

"You left the house Potter, and you were told not to." Snape said in a soft but condescending voice. Harry stared at him, sure he was kidding.

"So…you wanted me to what? Hide under the bed and pray they wouldn't find me?" He asked sarcastically. Snape glared at him, but looked confused.

"What are you talking about Potter?" Snape barked. Harry realized they had no idea what had happened to him or his family.

"Five men burst into the house and slaughtered my family." It was a true statement too, because they hadn't just used the killing curse, they used cutting hexes and they all bled out. There was so much blood and looking down at his ragged t-shirt he could see the bottom half was soaked with his cousins blood.

"The wards were not broken." Snape told him, sounding even more confused than before.

"Well I'm not making it up. What was I supposed to have done? I can't take on five men."

Mad eye looked angry, and the rest of the table looked worried, excluding Snape, who never looked anything other than irritated.

"Well then…" Dumbledore said but he didn't seem to have an explanation as to how they got past the wards.

"Severus, will you take Harry to where we talked about?" Harry was about to say something in protest, because he didn't want to go anywhere with Snape again, but Snape spoke before he could.

"I think that is a very bad idea, headmaster." Snape said in soft serious voice. Harry agreed completely.

"We've discussed this Severus. It's final." Harry shivered at the small hint of anger in the headmaster's voice. Snape however didn't seem bothered.

"Very well. Potter I suggest you go say goodbye because you won't be coming back." Snape said.

Harry went upstairs without a word and knocked on Hermione's door. She smiled at him but he shook his head.

"I can't stay here. Snape is taking me somewhere and he says I won't be coming back." Harry whispered and Hermione smile fell off her face.

"Well then….I'll see you at school. It's only a few more days after all." Hermione said with a sad smile.

Harry went back downstairs, passing Ron on the way down.

"Hey." Harry called and Ron turned to look at him, anger simmering inside.

"I wont be seeing you till the Hogwarts train, thought I would let you know."

"Fuck off Harry, I don't give a shit what you do. You broke my sisters heart and wont even say why. Then you go off and steal Hermione. Leave me alone, I'm done with you and Hermione." Ron snapped.

"You want to know why I broke things off. Because I'm not interested in girls, Ron! Hermione is just my best friend and she would forgive you if you'd just get your head out of your ass and apologize."

Ron swung his fist into Harry's jaw slamming him into the railing of the stairs. Harry reacted quickly, punching him back even harder. Ron tumbled down the stairs, pulling Harry with him. They landed in a heap at the bottom but Ron was quick to throw another punch. Harry moved his face out of the way and kicked Ron off him. Harry punched him in the nose and felt it break and blood spilled onto his hand

"You're sick you know that? A freak." That word sparked a new anger inside and renewed his punches with more force. Ron however was bigger and had an advantage.

Harry struggled to his feet and threw one more punch that sent Ron flying into the staircase. Snape entered the room then, eyes on fire with fury. Ron didn't see him though and said, "You sick gay freak. Stay the fuck away from my family."

"Fuck off, Ron." Harry snapped and wiped the blood away from his split lip. Snape raised an eyebrow at them.

"Molly!" Snape called and Harry watched with satisfaction as the blood drained from Ron's face. Hermione appeared at the top of the stairs, apparently having been there the entire time.

"What on earth!? Explain yourselves." Molly said angrily.

"He hit me" Ron said, lying outright.

" I told him I was leaving and I would see him on the train. He's mad at me for breaking up with Ginny. So he hit me." Harry said truthfully. Molly seemed to believe him.

"Ronald." She said knowingly. Ron turned red.

"Fine, believe him over your own son. I know you wish I wasn't anyway." Ron stormed up the stairs, limping slightly.

Harry got to his feet with wince. His ribs ached in the worst way.

"Come on Potter, we need to go." Snape said as if nothing had happened. Harry walked over to him and gripped his arm. Everything disappeared for a split second and then he was in a room that didn't have any windows.

"We're underground and we won't be leaving this place until you've managed to succeed at blocking the Dark Lord from your mind."

"But school-

"You'll be 'home schooled' for a time. By me." Harry stared at him, sure he was joking.

"This was Dumbledore's great plan? You hate me why would you ever help me?" Harry asked honestly.

"I do not hate you Potter that would mean I would have to think about you, which I do not. My wish is to see this war over and you are key to that." Snape snapped.

"You hate me, I know you do." Harry argued. But Snape didn't seem to hear him. He walked into the other room and after a second Harry followed him.

They were in the kitchen and Snape was going through the fridge. The kitchen looked new and up to date which Harry thought was nice. He wanted to know where they were the most.

"Where are we?" He asked and Snape looked at him for a moment.

"Do you really expect me to tell you that?" He asked, sounding a little amused.

"I guess not then." Harry replied. "Where do I sleep?"

Snape closed the fridge and walked past him to a door on the other side of the kitchen. The room was furnished with a large bed and a dresser. It also had his own bathroom which Harry loved, having never had one to himself before. The walls were blank and the paint was white. Harry looked behind him and saw Snape accessing his room.

"Where will you sleep?" Harry asked and then questioned his sanity. What did he care where Snape slept. If he even slept at all. Snape didn't even bother answering him.

"You can help yourself to whatever you want in the kitchen and tomorrow I will be teaching you how to block your mind from the dark lord. I suggest you get plenty of sleep." Snape said and then he left with a dramatic twirl of his black robes. Harry suddenly felt exhausted and went into his new room and fell asleep.

It was about two in the morning when the nightmare began. It was really simple actually. He had been making dinner when the door exploded, sending fragments of wood throughout the living room. Harry pulled his wand out of his pocket and got to his family just in time to see his aunt face severed from her body. Harry let out a deep breath of horror and raised his wand.

"Stupefy!" He called, unable to bring himself to kill him. There were four other men and they were sending cutting hexes left and right until his family was dead. They turned to Harry but he was quick to run out the back door in the kitchen.

Harry woke then, a scream upon his lips and then he was aware of a pair of hands shaking him awake.

"Potter! Wake up!" the voice was saying and Harry opened his eyes slowly, remembering where he was and who was here with him.

"Sorry!" He said automatically. Snape sneered at him through the dark. The weight left his bed and the door slammed behind Snape as he left. Harry took a deep breath and laid there until morning came.

Snape was eating when Harry came out of his room. He had dark purple circles under his eyes and Harry wondered if Snape could tell. Harry sat down across from Snape and watched him eat.

"Potter is there a reason you are staring at me?" He asked with a voice void of emotion. Harry wondered how Snape did that. He must have had years of experience.

"Are you ready to start?" Snape asked suddenly. Harry nodded reluctantly. He was afraid of what might happen during this lesson.

"Okay, we'll start simply and all you have to do is clear your mind, Potter." Snape said in a soft voice. Harry felt frustrated. How was he supposed to do that? He didn't know how to clear his mind. Snape's wand rose while Harry wasn't watching and the spell came before he was even close to being ready.

"_Legilimens_!" Memories rose to the forefront of his mind rapidly. The first was a memory of the chamber of secrets, where he was fighting off the basilisk. Harry struggled to force Snape from his mind but it wouldn't work. The next memory was of the Mirror of Erised and seeing his parents together.

Snape pulled from his mind and just stared at him before walking away into his room without a word. Harry waited to see if he would come back out, but he didn't and Harry just curled up on the couch and fell into a deep sleep.

"Potter wake up!" Snape yelled. Harry was startled awake and his fist went directly into the direction of Snape's face. Snape pulled back in time but only just. Harry rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and tried to calm down. The last time he'd been woken up like that was when his uncle wanted to punish him for not cleaning the bathrooms before he went to sleep. He looked into Snape angry eyes and flinched away from him. The movement was not missed by Severus and he calmed himself.

"Potter, we need to start again." He said in a softer voice. Harry stood and nodded, trying to prepare himself for the mental assault he was about to receive. It didn't come and when harry opened his eyes he saw Snape just standing there staring about him like he was a puzzle he had to figure out.

"What is it?" Harry asked, curiously, but cautiously. Snape blinked and shook his head before answering and what he said shocked Harry.

"I would never hurt you, Potter. Not ever, so don't go flinching away from me like a frightened school girl." Snape said, but without the ever present sneer. Harry didn't know what to say so he just nodded.

"Now, let's start. _Legilimens_!" Snape said the spell and he was thrust into the boys mind and immediately he was bombarded with images, but one stood alone for him. It was almost painful to watch in a way. It was Petunia Dursley holding a year old Harry Potter. The scar was more vivid and red on his forehead than it was in the present. Petunia was stroking the child face and whispering soothing words.

"It's alright, Aunt Petunia's here. Nothing bad will ever happen to you again, I promise." She said in a softer voice. Snape was stunned by the display because he knew how the story played out from then. The memories skipped ahead and there was nothing remotely like the first memory in the boy's head. That was the only happy memory he could find not counting the time he started at school. There were plenty happy memories there, but it seemed Potter was not a spoiled child, nor like his father. He was just a lost young man.

The next memory made Snape angry to his core because it was changing everything he thought was true. It was Vernon Dursley and he was punching into the boys back without pause and while they weren't very hard punches, Snape knew they hurt plenty and would leave bruises all over the boy's back.

"You deserve this you freak!" Vernon kept saying and seemed to mean it more and more with every punch. Snape was suddenly forced out of the boys mind and he stumbled back a little. Harry was breathing harshly and his fists were clenched tightly.

"I did it." He stated. Snape nodded at him.

"You did. Now, do it again."

Harry glared at Snape. Couldn't he just say he was doing a good job? Would it kill him to be nicer? Harry was lost in thought so he didn't have time to prepare for the next attack.

"_Legilimens!_" His voice was sharper and forceful. He wanted to see the memories the boy had. He had to be that spoiled child that he always berated so much every day he was in class. Severus went through his mind mercilessly and searched every corner, but still only sorrow was found. Harry Potter was hit, punched, swore at, degraded, and much more; but there were no happy memories of the fairytale childhood Severus believed to be true. It was unbelievable. Severus had been so sure that he was right.

Severus opened his eyes and was met with green ones that shone with angry and a tad bit of fear. Severus felt his wand slip through his fingers and clatter to the floor. Harry stared at

"Are you done? Have you had your fill?" Harry yelled finally tearing free of Snape merciless attack on his mind.

Severus opened his eyes and was met with green ones that shone with angry and a tad bit of fear. Severus felt his wand slip through his fingers and clatter to the floor. Harry stared at the movement, confused.

"Professor?" He questioned. Severus shook his head.

Little did Harry know he was witnessing a man changing.

"I am sorry Potter. Truly." He whispered and then he picked up his wand and swallowed his mortification of being so wrong, and disappeared into his room, leaving a stunned Harry Potter standing there alone.

* * *

A/N: This was very interesting to write. Hope you guys like it. It's just a one-shot and very different from what I always written. Please review.


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